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Veritas Rex is Latin for the “Truth King,” or… roughly muddled into English: the “King of Truth.”

We have each crowned Kings and Queens of truth for ourselves. For me, my choices are largely comedic. Robin Williams was a genius. George Carlin was a god of an atheist. Bill Maher gleefully rips your face off with his political outrage and insists you thank him for it. Lewis Black’s wit is like sandpaper on all your politically sensitive privates. Jon Stewart is somehow able to give you the warm fuzzies at the same time that he’s delivering some hard truths that are always fun to listen to, but not always comfortable to hear.

Call me ideologically naïve, but POTUS’ natural gravitas continually lends weight to the words he speaks. I don’t care if he’s talking about bisexual koalas being persecuted by the bigoted big-mouth lemurs in the pen next door, and that’s why we need to send relief now.

I’m on board.

Why? Because he’s a fabulous president who has developed groundbreaking policy in his attempt to create an all-inclusive America. All while conservatives have continued blaming him for the sins of his Podunk predecessor.

We can get into how fully badass Obama is in another essay. Right now, let’s just leave it right here: Barack is bitchin’.

Moving on… Veritas Rex can be found in the header at the top of an inauspicious Indiana website: hoosierfamily.org. On that website, James Bopp, Jr. of The Bopp Law Firm, PC in Terre Haute was quoted in a press statement released Dec. 10. The press release focused on a recent lawsuit filed by the Indiana Family Institute, the American Family Association and the American Family Association of Indiana against the City of Carmel, the City of Indianapolis and various members of Marion County Equal Opportunity Advisory Board.

The introduction of this complaint states the following:

This case challenges (I) the nondiscrimination ordinance of the City of Carmel (“Carmel Ordinance”) and Indianapolis-Marion County (“Indianapolis Ordinance”) for violating RFRA and state and federation constitutions protections; and (II) the amendment to the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act (“RFRA”) that provides an Exclusion (with Exceptions) that excludes certain persons from RFRA’s protection and is unlawful under the Indiana and federal constitutions.

“RFRA originally protected all religious viewpoints and insured a high level of protection for peoples' free exercise of religion. The 'fix,' however, stripped that protection based on a person's particular religious view, such as, opposition to same-sex marriage. This pits some religions that the government protects against other religions that will suffer government punishment if they don't fall in line. We believe this discrimination between religious views is unconstitutional," said Bopp.

This kind of religious bigot wants to talk at length about his personal freedom that’s being stepped on, but he’s left out the part having to do with how this kind of “freedom” infringes on the free expression of everyone else. That’s not freedom. That’s persecution.

A homosexual should be able to walk into any bakery and order a wedding cake. A transgender teenager should be able to order any pizza he likes. Hell, the drag queens at Lucy’s Large & Lovely should be able to get their beards trimmed in any barber shop while wearing any evening gown that speaks to them!

If you don’t agree with homosexuality, don’t be a homosexual. If you don’t agree with the lives of transgender persons, don’t make the transition. If you’re a big burly man who doesn’t like it when other men wear pretty dresses in extended sizes, don’t shop in a dress store!

No one’s going to give you a medal for any single “choice” you make to be tolerant. God, I hate that word: “Tolerant”. It’s so condescending. As if your choice to approve of anyone else makes you special or evolved or is in any way required.

I don’t require that you tolerate me. I require that you treat me well, behave courteously and shove your tolerant condescension.

An article also published Dec. 10 by Amber Stearns, NUVO’s news editor, said, “The lawsuit seeks to have the nondiscrimination ordinances in both cities declared unconstitutional and unlawful under RFRA. The plaintiffs want any and all enforcement of the ordinances to be prohibited by injunction and declaratory judgement.”

So, basically, Christians who were practically frothing at the mouth in their excitement to get RFRA passed are now pouting that their precious bigotry bill doesn’t actually give them license to discriminate at will.

THINGS TO DO

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